A British man and woman were today jailed for three months after being convicted of having sex on a Dubai beach.

Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south-east London, and Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, were arrested on Jumeirah beach in the early hours of July 5, having met that night at a £60 all-you-can-drink champagne brunch.

As well as jailing the pair, the judge, Hamdi Abul Kharr, fined them 1,000 dirhams (£155) and ordered their deportation after they had completed their jail sentences.

Prosecutors said the pair had been seen having sex on the beach after being dropped off by a taxi.

Palmer, who works in Dubai as a publishing executive, maintained she and Acors were "just kissing and hugging".

The pair's lawyer, Hassam Matter, argued that witness statements, including one from a police officer, were false, and medical examinations proved Palmer did not have sex.

Matter said the pair were "upset" by the prison sentence and would appeal against the verdict.

The senior prosecutor, Faisal Abdelmalek Ahli, said the sentence was too lenient and he expected the pair to serve it in full.

"It's very light," he said outside court. "It's normal for a sentence to be six months to a year for an offence such as this."

A spokesman for the judge said Acors and Palmer were jailed and order to be deported for the offences of unmarried sex and public indecency. They were fined for being drunk in a public place.

He said the court had ruled on a number of similar cases and a sentence of three months was normal.

Acors and Palmer denied unmarried sex and public indecency but admitted being drunk.

They were not at Dubai's court of first instance to hear the verdict. They were due to hear his decision earlier this month but Palmer was unable to attend because she was "unwell", Matter said.

The appeal will be heard within 15 days.

The Dubai tourist industry has voiced fears that the verdict could be bad for business. But there are other concerns the perceived leniency of the sentence could spark a radical response from conservative Dubai nationals who do not condone the behaviour of tourists and expatriates.